Posted: 2006.07.05(Wed)19:30 Post subject: New to Saltwater - Setting up a 32 Gallon

Hi All:

I have just gotten the tank setup that my LFS recommended for a new Saltwater set up. It is the 32 Gallon Waterhome with a double light canopy. I have a few questions about setting it up and it seems that for every thing I find that seems right there are two other articles I find disputing it.

My first question is, at my LFS they said "Don't use Live Rock, use crushed coral instead". From what I read in another thread here, Live Rock is the exeskeleton of coral so what's this all about? Is it a matter of my LFS missing something, or am I?

Next, I'm wondering about fish combinations and quantity. As I said this will be a 32 Gallon tank. I would like to have:

-2 Ocellaris Clowns
-1 Yellow Tang
-1 Regal Blue Tang
-1 Porcupine Puffer
-1 Cleaner Shrimp
-1 Starfish (not sure what type yet)
-And MAYBE way down the road I would like to add a Seahorse, based on what I've read so far, not sure about that one.
-I also like the Sailfin Angel

I don't intend to have any coral or plants, only fish and possibly an anemone for the clownfish. Would this be appropriate? At the LFS they told me that you need one anemone for each clownfish you have or they will fight over it. Is this true even of a mated pair? Also, I have read that many clowns get along just fine without an anemone at all.

I also don't yet have a filter for this aquarium and the LFS recommended (quite sternly) that I go with the FLUVAL brand of Cannister filter (a 304 for a 32 Gallon). Does this seem right?

They told me to make this aquarium from FW to SW I would also need:
-an under-gravel filter
-crushed coral for rock
-salt
-various test kits and testing instruments
Does that seem accurate?

You should only get three small fish for a tank that size. A 32 gallon will not work for either tang or for the puffer, no matter how small they are. Those three fish need well over 100 gallons to survive because of their size and because of their need for swimming room. Until you get some experience, I would put off the seahorse, starfish, and anemone because all three have pretty bad survival rates, even for experts. Two clownfish will be fine without an anemone. If you want another fish, I would recommend you look at the gobies but be sure to only add one more to the tank.

Yeah, I was pretty much expecting to hear that about the Puffer, Starfish, Seahorse and Anemone. It saddens me that I can't have a Puffer right now, but I'd rather not get one than get it and have it die. It sucks though because the guy at the store told me that I could easily have 5 or more fish in that tank. Oh well, better to have fewer healthy fish than many dead or dying fish.

What about the Sailfin Angel I mentioned? Would it be appropriate to go with the clownfish?

Looking down the road, if I did get a (much) larger tank, could all of those fish cohabitate successfully? And how big of a tank would be required in your opinion?

I would say well over 100 gallons for all of them, I would say min. 125 gallons. The only problem is that the puffer might nip at some of the fish because of their size and shapes. I have no idea what a Sailfin Angel is. If you're referring to a Sailfin Tang, it would need the 100 gallons. Honestly though, I have no idea what it is. If you can get a latin name for me I could help you.

What is a Sailfin Angel? I've never heard of those before and a Google search didn't turn up anything. Do you mean Sailfin Tang maybe?

If it's a type of dwarf angel, then the answer is maybe. If it's a large angel, then the answer is no. And if it's a sailfin tang, then the answer is also no.

And it's always better to understock than overstock. Like you said, it's better to have a few healthy fish than a whole lot of dead ones. Gobies, chromises, basslets, firefish, small blennies, and small wrasse would all be suitable in a 30 gallon. In addition to the two clowns, you might be able to do one or two more small fish max. But no more.

For the species you listed, you'd probably want at least 100 gallons, but preferably more. No tank is too small!

I did a search through some angels and the only one I found that looked like what they had at the store was Pomacanthus semicirculatus. However, it did look a lot like the Sailfin Tang that you mentioned when I looked at that, but it didn't have any yellow on it, just blue, black and white. Maybe it was a confusion in the names because they do look quite similar. It was a brighter almost metallic blue with white and black stripes. At the store it was about half or a little more than half of the size of the yellow tang (not sure about when it grows though)

I'm glad you are wanting to be a fish-KEEPER instead of a fish-HAVER. Congradulations on that.

The best thing would be to stick with:
2 Ocellaris Clowns
and another small fish. You could probably go with some type of Dartfish, OR some type of Goby. Just make sure it is appropriate for you tank. You are right though. You only want to keep 1 pair unless it is a larger system.

No, a Sailfin Tang could absolutely NOT be kept in a 32. They need large aquariums (about a 100 gal. or larger). Also, if you were to get a larger system down the road, you can only keep 1 Tang unless it is a larger system. Keeping more than 1 Tang in smaller tanks will cause them to fight. Only Blue Tangs can be kept in groups in a smaller aquarium (would still have to be about 100gal.) but they are more prone to disease than other Tangs.

If you wanted an Angel, for this small of a system, you would have to stay with Dwarfs. Although, I'm not sure an Angel would be best for a small system like yours. I will let someone more experienced comment on that._________________If at first you don't succeed... skydiving is not for you.

I had a coral beauty in a 32gallon tank. did well. lost him during a tank disaster.

just a thought but if you just want to have fish then why not setup a tank simular to how quarentine tanks are setup. those types of setups are extremely cheap compared to having live rock and lighting and corals ect.